NorSea Group Buys Danbor from Mærsk

MarineLink.com

Wednesday, April 02, 2014

Danbors supply base in Esbjerg

NorSea Group is said it taking a major step forward in its international involvement by purchasing the Danish base and logistics company Danbor AS. In addition to enhancing the global presence of NorSea Group, Danbor will boost the company’s capability in the wind power market.

“International expansion is part of NorSea Group’s expressed strategy. Danbor is a solid company which is well-established in our core activity field and fits in well with the rest of the NorSea Group family,” said John Stangeland, CEO of NorSea Group. NorSea Group sees many similarities between the two companies and considerable potential for creating synergies between Danbor and NorSea Group’s other subsidiaries and activities.

NorSea Group is a Norwegian supplier of base and logistics services to the oil and gas industry. The company also has offices in Aberdeen in Scotland and Perth in Australia. With its acquisition of Danbor, NorSea Group is taking a bold step into the international market. Danbor’s head office is in Esbjerg and its principal operations are on the Danish shelf, where it is a supplier to Mærsk Oil and Dansk Undergrunds Consortium (DUC). Danbor also has operations in Montrose and Aberdeen in Scotland, as well as a base joint venture with Royal Arctic Line in Greenland. The acquisition of Danbor will give NorSea Group an increased presence in Denmark as well as enhancing its presence in the U.K. The company is now capable of serving customers throughout the North Sea basin.

In recent years, Danbor has also become established in the wind power market, where the NorSea Group wishes to increase its focus. Esbjerg is a focal point of the European wind turbine industry, and Danbor has contracts in the fields of logistics operations and the repair and maintenance of both offshore and land-based wind turbines.

NorSea Group said it is taking over a solid, well-run company with a long history in the industry. This year, Danbor celebrates 40 years of operations, while NorSea Group will turn 50 next year. Besides their long industry experience, there are many similarities between the two companies in regards to their business models, culture and values, the company said.

“I am convinced that A.P. Møller-Mærsk has found the right purchaser to ensure Danbor’s future growth and enable us to maintain the quality of our operations and the level of service provided by our employees. Our incorporation into the new company will have no immediate effect either on our daily operations or on our existing contractual obligations,” stated Søren Fløe Knudsen, CEO of Danbor.

A.P. Møller-Mærsk said is confident that Danbor is in good hands.

“Danbor is a healthy and well-run company whose operations are peripheral to our strategic focus and which therefore merits a dedicated ownership which will develop its activities. NorSea Group is a recognized operator in the industry and I am sure that it will carry on the company’s operations in the right spirit and with a long-term perspective,” said Jakob Thomasen, a member of the Executive Board of A.P. Møller-Mærsk.

Through the acquisition of Danbor, NorSea Group has gained 370 new employees. “We have been made very welcome by Danbor and we are looking forward to getting to know our new colleagues,” said the CEO of NorSea Group in conclusion.